“That won’t be necessary,” Vitale said.

“I don’t want you to go.” Sues might have thought she whispered, but she hadn’t. The one arm at his side had both her hands wrapped around the wrist.

“I think I should,” Dave said.

“And I appreciate your bravery, but our soldiers are going to handle this.”

“We want our guns back,” Dave said.

“They were never your guns,” Vitale said.

Dave opened his mouth, but this time, I grabbed his arm. “Not now,” I said. No sense getting in a pissing match. Military wasn’t just going to hand over weapons. There had to be more on the vessel. More than just what we’d seen, with the soldiers and Coast Guard crew carried. Had to be, because if there wasn’t, we might be in some serious, serious trouble.

The three soldiers got off the boat, disappearing into the foggy mist. We gathered around Vitale’s radio. The remaining three soldiers seemed ready to spring into action. Any kind of action. They seemed upset that they hadn’t been picked to explore.

That was a soldier.

Even before the first transmission, we heard it. Not from the radio, but an echo in the distance. The gunfire was one thing. I had no problem with that. None. Unrealistic at this point in time not to expect it. Didn’t need to send out a recon team to realize the camp was fucked up.

It was an agonizing shrill. Someone screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

Chapter Ten

The radio crackled.

“Sergeant, Barron’s down. He’s down!”

“Where are you, Palmeri?” Vitale held the radio in a fist. He backed away from us. No way was he taking this call in private. Safe to say we shared a vested interest.

Spade, Marf and Spencer checked the weapons. They mumbled, so I couldn’t make out what each said to the other. It was like a different language.

I smelled smoke, even though I didn’t see any. Tough to differentiate anything from the thick fog and the darkness. I kept a hand on each child. Allison was close to my back, her hand on my shoulder. “We need weapons, Sergeant.”

“No one else is leaving the boat,” Captain Keel said. “We’re going to shove off. Get away from the dock.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Vitale said.

“Didn’t say we were, just not staying in this slip. We’re going to float out some. Safe distance. Drop anchor. We’re safe on the boat,” the captain said.

“You’re staying,” Vitale said. “You’re staying right here. My soldiers are out there. We’re not leaving them.”

“This is my ship. I’m captain. Me. I have my crew to th—”

“Don’t even say it.” Vitale invaded personal space. Keel didn’t back down, didn’t step away. “My soldiers are out there and we’re going after them. When we return, this ship is right here. Where it was when we left it. Do you understand? Am I clear?”

“Sergeant, if you get off my ship, then that is your prerogative. I can assure you we will not still be tied up. We will not abandon you. It is not safe staying right here. There are more lives at stake than the three soldiers. We have eight civilians to think of. We cannot forget about them,” he said.

The way he said it. We cannot forget about them. I didn’t like it. They were privy to something. Not sure what, but it was there in the way he said it.

The breakdown consisted of a struggle. It was over power and fear. Loyalty and commitment. And possibly mission. Keel sounded like a chickenshit to me. Initially.

I couldn’t argue with the logic, though. I wanted my kids safe. I wasn’t worried about me. I wanted my family safe.

“I’m going with you,” I said. Sergeant Vitale stared at me.

“Daddy, no!” Cash kept arms wrapped around my leg.

“I have to,” I said. “Your sister is going to protect you. She can do that. I know she can.”

She didn’t smile at me. I knew she appreciated the words, the trust. The boat was going to leave the dock. It would be out on the water. Away from any possible zombie attack. They’d be safe. Charlene wouldn’t have to do much more than hold her brother’s hand. She could do that. No doubt.

“You’re not going,” Allison said.

“I’m going with you,” Dave said.

“He’s not going, Dave,” she said. “So you’re not going with him. Neither of you is going anywhere.”

“We have more weapons,” Vitale said. “Spade, arm the men. Leave some rifles and handguns for the Coast Guard.”

“We have our own,” Keel said. “And we are not going to arm the civilians, Sergeant. They’ve not been trained. Could be more dangerous giving these women guns…”

“Excuse me?” Sues had fists planted on hips. “That was uncalled for. Out of line. You might be the captain of this ship, but you just made it known that you are a sexist pig. A pig!”

Dave wrapped an arm around her and whispered into her ear.

“Did you hear what he said,” she said. She shook a fist at Keel.

Yeah. I liked this woman. She clearly was family. Dave had himself a keeper in my eyes.

Spade returned. He dragged a chest, popped the lock and lifted the lid.

“I’ll need one,” Charlene said.

Spade looked at me and I nodded. “She’s tough.”

“You know how to use this?” He held out a handgun. Without waiting for an answer, he explained in four steps how to use it. “You turn the safety off like this. Hold the gun out like so. Close one eye and aim. You line this little tab up with what you want to hit. You pull the trigger here. It’s that easy.”

Cash looked up at me. “Do I get one?”

“Your sister will protect you,” I said, again.

Allison, Sues and Crystal took rifles.

“Here’s how you load them,” he said. First, he showed the ladies, giving them extra ammunition and then he showed Charlene. He gave her a handful of clips.

Chatterton stood quiet. He hadn’t volunteered. He hadn’t opted out.

“I do not want these people going with you,” Keel said to Vitale. “Do you hear me, Sergeant? I will file a formal complaint…”

“With whom, Travis? Huh? Who the fuck you going to file a complaint with? Other than you, the people on this boat, and me, who the fuck you been in contact with? I’d like to know. I really would. Because, my satellite phone hasn’t heard shit from anyone. No one. You going to tell my Commander in Chief? Because even if that little fuck is holed up in some fallout bunker, I don’t think he’s going to give two shits if I handed out some fucking handguns. Is he? You think he’s going to care? Answer me! I’m not talking just to fucking talk. Fucking answer me!”

Spade, who had been kneeling by the chest, rose to his feet and in one fluid motion was in front of and moving his sergeant away from conflict. “Sarge,” he said.

Vitale shrugged off the soldier’s hands. He spun. We locked eyes. “You shoot before?”

“Yes,” I said. This was not about being a hero. It’s what was right. The right thing to do. I didn’t want to go. I needed to. Had to.

“And you?” he said.

Dave nodded.

“What about you?” Vitale stared at Chatterton. “I haven’t heard you fucking go peep.”

“I’m going with you, sir.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. You shoot?”

“Yes, sir.”

“They all set, Spade?” Vitale said.

Spade handed the three of us more weapons. Rifles, side arms, extra clips and a big knife, which I clipped the sheath of to my belt.

“You be safe,” Charlene said, hugging me.

“I will. You take care of them. Allison, too. But you listen to her. You got me? You’re not a kid anymore.”

“I know that. We’ll be okay.”

“I know that,” I said. I kissed her. Been a long time since she’d let me. Always gave me the top of her head or a cheek. I’ll not forget when she was younger. Used to carry her everywhere. People thought something must be wrong with her legs. We were inseparable. At a Fourth of July picnic one year, my uncle took photographs. Told us to smile. Said he didn’t have any of us together. Sarcasm dripped from his words. Times changed. As she got older, we remained close, but not as close.